H-B 51, Water Right Forfeiture Protection-

For those of you following H-B 51, Water Right Forfeiture Protection, the following link may be used to follow the progress.

http://le.utah.gov/~2008/htmdoc/hbillhtm/hb0051.htm


This bill could have an effect on everyone from municipalities, to developers, to the price you are paying for your new home in Utah. Though is addressing some of the issues with paper water in Utah, there are still many issues we need to address with wet water.


Below are the current highlighted provisions of the Bill:

General Description:

This bill protects specific entities from forfeiture of water rights for nonuse

Highlighted Provisions:

This bill: defines terms;

16 changes the nonuse period of a water right from five to seven years;

17 clarifies the forfeiture procedure;

18 allows a person that owns stock in a water company to file a nonuse application;

19 protects a water right from forfeiture if:

20 a public water supplier holds the water for the reasonable future water

21 requirement of the public;

22 the land where the water is used is under a fallowing program;

23 the water is stored in an aquifer; and

24 another water source is available for the beneficial use;

25 establishes how the reasonable future water requirement of the public are

26 determined; and

27 makes technical changes